Samba Dance

Lucinda, this is especially to show you that Samba dancing was part of the parade. Sorry about all the waving arms and cameras but that was part of the total experience!

Other Highlights

Also want to share photos of the amazing forest of cinnamon-barked arrayan trees on the Quetrihue Peninsula in Lago Nahuel Huapi and of our exciting zip-line experience

South America

We have returned from yet another wonderful trip. In Mendosa we tasted wines paired with the seven courses which comprised a lunch we shared with our new best friends Delores and Andreas. In the Andes we hiked far enough to glimpse Aconcagua, highest peak in the Americas. The lake crossing from Chile to Argentina provided spectacular scenery and a chance to experience a zip line through the rain forest canopy. Bariloche afforded more hiking and breathtaking views of many of the lakes. Rio was so much fun! Exceeding our expectations were the Cristo Redentor, the Copacabana, Ipenema and Barra beaches and the view from Sugarloaf.The highlight was the Sambaparade held in the huge Sambodrome with dozens of unbelievabley intricate floats and thousands of dancers in the most elaborate costumes.

sledding

Busytown

The past few weeks have been very busy. Bob and Carol and JR and I attended the world premiere of a wonderful new Canadian opera titled "The Inventor". Lorisa and I enjoyed the Lunch Box Theatre production of "Rory and Liza" and a nice lunch following that. Donna hosted a lovely luncheon meeting of my book club when we reviewed the delightful "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society ". Another friend, Donna, with whom I worked at the Med School, visited from Vancouver and we met for coffee and a great chat with Cy Frank who directed our research there. Karen accompanied me to a CPO performance featuring Ian Tyson. Tom and Bev and JR and I enjoyed the current Theatre Calgary production of The Drowsy Chaperone. Christine and I have been seeing a lot of movies, determined to see most of those nominated for Oscars which we hope to watch in Argentina. We have had a several good dumps of snow and have been able to snow shoe, ski and sled in the Edgemont Ravines behind our house. Richard Scary could paint quite a picture!

Unbirthday

Everyone has been most considerate of my wishes not to celebrate a birthday this year. Barbara and Garry were kind enough to host a lovely gourmet dinner and invite a few of our closest friends to attend an "unbirthday" party, at which the Urquharts presented me with this tee shirt!

Slopestyle Snowboarding

James and Eli and I watched the Burton Slopestyle Snowboarding Men's and Women's Championships at Canada Olympic Park and were amazed at the 1080's, flips and cartwheels the young competitors executed so seemingly effortlessly,